The Cruelest Cut
by boswifedeb
Summary: While Matt and Roy are still working to try to find the hideout of the terrorist, Matt is also trying to help Chris with an ex-boyfriend who won't leave her alone. To add to his troubles, the LAPD needs help catching a serial rapist. Rated T for adult situations and some language. Not my characters, just borrowing for a while.
1. Chapter 1

**The Cruelest Cut**

****This story immediately follows "They're All Somebody's Little Girl"****

**CHAPTER 1**

"Mattlock, you need to go home. Get some sleep. We'll work on this again tomorrow." Roy Houston laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"Yeah, CJ is probably going to be upset. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to try to find this bastard." Matt stood up and stretched. He had been staring at the computer monitor for over eight hours and his eyes were feeling the strain.

"We'll get him; it's just a matter of time." Roy walked toward the elevator followed by Matt. Both men had been working tirelessly to try to find the hideout of the country's number one enemy in the Middle East. After spending $5 million of his own money on a used Russian satellite, Matt had been using every free moment he had looking for the terrorist.

When he got to the ranch, CJ was sitting in the den looking disgusted. Roy and Matt wouldn't tell her what they were working on for fear that she would be a target if the wrong people found out about it. She and Matt had argued several times about their "project" as the two men referred to it.

Matt walked into the den and sat down next to her on the couch, putting his arm around her and kissing her on the cheek. "Love you, babe." He knew she was mad, but he just couldn't risk telling her for fear of what could happen to her.

CJ knew he was trying to make the world a safer place for the children that they hoped to have some day, and she respected his efforts. But she still felt like an outsider and it didn't sit well with her. "Love you, hon." She rested her head on his chest. "Did you guys get any dinner tonight?" CJ looked up at her husband of over seven months and noticed the dark circles around his eyes and the tired look on his face.

"Nah, I wasn't really hungry." He pulled her closer. "But I sure did miss you." He tilted her chin up and kissed her. No matter how upset she was with him, CJ loved Matt more than anything and couldn't stay mad at him for very long. She returned his kiss, then took him by the hand and led him back to their bedroom.

At eight the next morning, Matt and CJ stepped off of the elevator at the penthouse office of Houston Investigations. Their secretary, Chris, was already there and was answering the phone. "Sure, Michael, he just walked in the door." She put the police lieutenant, Michael Hoyt, on hold.

"Thanks Chris." Matt walked on into the office, stepped over the back of the couch as was his custom, and had a seat. He picked up the phone. "Hey Hoyt, how's it goin'?"

"Well I would love to say great but then I would be lying." Lt. Michael Hoyt was one of Matt's best friends, although they hadn't started out that way. Hoyt put the private investigator through hell before finally realizing that he was a much better ally than an enemy. They had worked together for the past three years and were almost as close as brothers now.

"What's the problem?" Matt had worked as a consultant to the LAPD for several years now and had a reputation as the best investigator, public or private.

"We've got a rapist on the loose. He struck again last night. That makes five victims in the last five days." Hoyt had come to depend on Matt a lot.

"Okay. Want me to come to the office or do I need to be somewhere else?"

"Yeah, come on by the office. I've got the records here. If I should happen to be gone, they're in the top right hand drawer of my desk. The chief is on the warpath and I've been asked to make an appearance upstairs." Hoyt sounded about as thrilled as he could possibly be, knowing that he would be raked over the coals by the chief for not catching the guy yet.

"Oh yeah, that's gonna really help you catch him: wasting time with the chief." Matt shook his head. He felt sorry for Hoyt and wondered how many more years the man would be able to put up with the politics of being a police officer. "I'll be there quick as I can, bud. 'Bye." He hung up the phone and went into CJ's office. Leaning over and giving her a kiss, Matt told her where he was going. "Love you, babe." He kissed her again and gave her a big hug.

"Love you, too. Be careful, okay?" She always worried about him, but since they had been married she worried even more.

"I will. See you later." Matt went out and hit the button for the elevator. While he was waiting, he looked over at Chris. She looked tired and her eyes were a little red. "Everything okay, Chris?"

"Yeah, sure." She didn't look up at her boss and Matt wasn't convinced. He walked over to her desk.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" He wasn't falling for it. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. I just keep getting phone calls from a guy I used to date. He doesn't seem to understand that I'm not interested in him anymore." She smiled up at Matt. "Guess I'm just more irresistible than I thought."

"If he calls you again, let me know, okay?" He patted her on the shoulder. Chris was now dating Murray Chase, head of Houston Industries. The two had been dating for a few months and everyone fully expected Murray to pop the question any day now. The secretary nodded. "I mean it; you let me know and we'll put him in his place." He stepped onto the elevator and went down to the parking garage, got in his truck and headed for Hoyt's office.

Matt went up to the lieutenant's office on the fourth floor of the police precinct. He was out of the office, so Matt got the files out of the drawer and sat down on the couch to read through them. The first four victims had been single women in their twenty's. The rapist was described as a white male in his late twenty's to early thirty's; about six feet tall and with a heavy build. He had been wearing a black ski mask and been armed with a knife which he had used to cut the faces of his victims. Each one had received a slash on their right cheek. Matt thought about that: it sounded like their rapist was left handed. He went back through the files to find out how the victims had been described. All were blonde with shoulder length hair. Apparently the guy had a preference for women matching that description.

The first four victims had lived in different areas of Los Angeles. The first victim, Lisa Spaulding, was a florist who lived in the Silver Lake area. Angela Gardner, the second victim, was a nurse who lived in the West Hollywood area. Number three was Patty Neighbors, a freelance photographer living in the Hollywood Hills area. Victim number four was Laura Giles, a masseuse who lived in Sherman Oaks. He got up and looked around on Hoyt's desk and found his notes on the fifth victim. She was Marsha Patterson, a seamstress who lived in the Griffith Park area, and was also blonde with shoulder length hair.

Matt sat back down on the couch. Other than the fact that all of the women were single with shoulder length blonde hair, there didn't appear to be any other similarities. They all lived in different neighborhoods and had different professions. The rapist seemed to be picking the women at random, which wasn't going to make it easy to catch him. Hoyt walked into the office and plopped down on the couch next to Houston. "How did it go?"

Hoyt shook his head. "Not good. I told him we were working on it as best we could, but that didn't seem to please him any." He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "Have you been through the files?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but he seems to be hitting at random. The only connection that I've found so far is that all of the women have shoulder-length blonde hair. And since the cut is on their right cheek and they were attacked from the front, it sounds like the guy is left handed."

Hoyt nodded. "Now the question is: how to catch him? The CSI's haven't found any fingerprints at the scenes and there hasn't been any DNA collected. Yet, that is. The latest victim is at the hospital right now."

"I guess our best bet right now is to interview these ladies and see if they have remembered anything else about him." Matt pulled out his notebook and wrote down the addresses of the ladies. "I'm going to get CJ to go with me – they might feel more comfortable talking to another lady about this."

"Good idea. Tell her I said thanks, will you?" Hoyt moved over to his desk and pulled out the bottle of antacid that he kept in the drawer, taking a big swig and replacing the bottle, while Matt watched. "Don't say a word about it, PI, I've been eating yogurt. But some days it just isn't enough." The private investigator nodded and started out the door. "Hey." Hoyt called after him and Matt stuck his head back in the door. "Are you okay? You look kind of tired."

"Yeah, just been spending some late nights at the office working on the project. See ya later." He left and headed on down to the parking garage and back to his office to get CJ. When he stepped off the elevator at the penthouse office, he was just in time to hear Chris telling someone on the phone to leave her alone and not to call her again. She slammed the phone down. "The old boyfriend again?" Matt stepped over to her desk.

Chris nodded. "Maybe that will be the last time I have to tell him."

"If he calls back again, let us know. CJ can see about getting a restraining order on him…and I can see about having a chat with him."

"No, I don't want you to get hurt." She looked up at her boss, knowing that he would more than likely get into a fist fight with her ex, who was a lot bigger than Matt.

"I mean it, Chris. You let me know, okay?" He headed on into CJ's office and told her about the case. "I was wondering if you would come with me to talk to these ladies. They might feel a little more comfortable with you."

"Sure, I can do that." They started out of the office and as they were waiting for the elevator, the phone rang. Chris looked at the caller ID and let it continue to ring. CJ looked at her and was about to ask why she wasn't answering the phone when Matt walked over and picked it up.

"Houston Investigations. No, she isn't here. But I tell you what; if you call back again you'll be getting a visit from me." Matt listened to the reply. "Uh huh, well just try it, I guarantee you won't like the results." He hung up the phone and looked at his wife. "You need to help Chris with this ex of hers when we get back. I believe a restraining order will fit the bill."

"Alright. Chris, write down all of his information for me and we'll get started on it as soon as I get back, okay?" She and Houston stepped into the elevator. Matt hit the "door open" button and stuck his head back out. "I'm going to tell Walter to send up a guard to keep you company, just in case." He hit the button for the first floor and the doors closed. Chris stood there looking at the phone, praying that it wouldn't ring again.

True to his word, Matt stopped at the security desk and asked Walter to send up someone to keep Chris company until he and CJ got back and told him why. "No problem, Houston, we've got her covered." Matt thanked him and he and CJ made their way to the parking garage and then on to meet with Lisa Spaulding, the first victim of the rapist. Her mother answered the doorbell and Matt and CJ explained who they were and why they were there. They were led into the living room of the apartment and met Lisa. Her face was bandaged and it was obvious that she had spent a good deal of time crying lately. Matt kept his distance from her and CJ took the lead on the questioning.

"Have you thought of any other information that could help us catch the man?" CJ was sitting in a chair across from the couch where Lisa was huddled under a quilt. "Do you remember a certain smell, or did you see any tattoos on his arms or hands? Anything like that could help us to find him."

Spaulding looked up at her. "Yes, I do remember a smell. He smelled like gasoline." CJ looked over at Matt who nodded. "But I didn't see any tattoos. It was dark when…" she paused for a minute, "when he attacked me. It started outside my front door. I had just gotten home and was carrying in some groceries. My hands were full. I usually have my key ready as soon as I get out of my car, but with my hands full I wasn't able to do that." She closed her eyes. "He jumped me from behind and grabbed a handful of my hair, then told me to be quiet and unlock the door." She reopened her eyes. "When we got inside he threw me to the floor and was on top of me like that." Lisa snapped her fingers and shook her head. "I tried to fight him off but he was just too big. He must have weighed at least two hundred pounds."

"It sounds like you did everything you could have possibly done, Lisa." CJ paused for a minute to see if the girl would remember anything else. "Did he have an accent when he spoke?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, he just sounded normal. I wish there was something else I could tell you, but there just isn't."

"You've already given us more than we had when we got here. Here's my card, and this is my husband's card." She handed both of them to the girl. "If you think of anything else, you call one of us and tell us, okay?"

Lisa nodded. "I will. This has made me scared, but I'm mad, too. He had no right to do that to me."

"Thanks for your time, Miss Spaulding." Matt put his arm around CJ as they started out of the apartment.

As they drove to the home of Angela Gardner, Matt reached over and took CJ's hand. "Thanks for coming with me, babe. I think all of them will be a lot happier talking to you than me right now." She squeezed his hand and watched him as he drove through the traffic. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept at all the night before.

"Matt, you aren't going to stay late again tonight are you?"

He looked over at her and gave her a smile. "Well, I had planned on it, but maybe not. I'd like to spend some time with my lady tonight."

"Good. You need to get more rest." She squeezed his hand again. "If you don't you're going to have gray hair and wrinkles before you're forty." Both of them laughed, but CJ really was worried about Matt. He had lost weight in the last few weeks since he and Uncle Roy had started the project, and he wasn't on the heavy side to begin with. She thought it was a good thing that Mama Novelli, mother of Matt's best friend Vince Novelli, couldn't see him right now. Mama was always telling Matt that he was too skinny. When Matt and Roy were done with their project, she wanted him to take some time off and take care of himself.

They arrived at the home of Angela Gardner at a house in the West Hollywood area. She was there with her best friend, Suzy Goetz who answered the door. Suzy was reluctant to let Matt into the house for fear that it would distress Angela but Matt assured her that CJ would be doing most of the talking and that he wouldn't approach her at all. When Suzy introduced the couple, Angela actually seemed happy that they were there. "I'm glad that someone is working on the case. I know the police detective that I talked to at the hospital was nice, but he seemed like he was overloaded." Matt nodded. He was standing across the room by the fireplace. "Mr. Houston, would you like to have a seat?" Matt thanked her and sat down on the sofa next to CJ, who began asking her if she had remembered any other details about the attacker.

"Well, I did think of something just this morning. He had a smell about him – like a mechanic, you know what I mean?"

"Did he smell like gasoline?" Matt leaned back and put his arm around CJ's shoulders.

"Yeah, but it was something else, too. I'm not sure what, but he smelled like an auto repair shop." Angela seemed to be dealing with the attack pretty well. "It was dark when he jumped me out on the front porch. I had my hands full of wallpaper and carpet samples. He grabbed my hair and told me to open the door." CJ looked at Matt. The attacker had done the same thing to the first victim, Lisa Spaulding. "The minute we got inside he was all over me. My head hit the floor and I was knocked out for a minute, I guess. When I woke up, he was…you know." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down for a minute. "I sure would like to catch this guy and make him pay for what he did."

CJ nodded. "Can you think of anything else? Like an accent when he spoke?"

"No, he just sounded like he was from around here." She thought for another minute. "That's about it really. I wish I could remember more, but like I said, he knocked me out for a minute."

"You did great. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us." Matt handed CJ one of his cards and she put one of hers with it and gave it to Angela. "If you think of anything else just give us a call, okay?"

"You bet I will."

As they walked back out to the truck, CJ spoke to Matt. "Well, that makes two that smelled gasoline."

"Yep, I sure hope it will help us track him down." He was opening the truck door and helping her inside when his phone rang. It was Chris. "Hey, Chris, what's…?"

"Houston! He came up here and beat up the security guard!"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Matt and CJ hurried back to the office. When they got off of the elevator, Lt. Hoyt was kneeling next to Chris, who was seated at her desk crying. Houston looked down and there was a big blood stain on the carpet.

"Chris, are you okay?" He reached out to her and she ran into his arms.

"He beat up Greg, Houston. It's all my fault!" She was near hysterics.

"CJ take her on inside and get her a drink, would you?" Matt handed her off to his wife and turned to Hoyt. "What exactly happened?"

"I take it you know who we're talking about?" Hoyt looked like a man who needed a vacation in the worst kind of way. Matt nodded. "Well, he came up here looking for you evidently. Chris said that you and he had words earlier before you left. When he got up here, Greg politely asked him to leave and he not so politely declined." He gestured to the puddle of blood.

"What did he do to Greg?" Matt looked over at the puddle and felt bad for the security guard.

"He beat the living daylights out of him. His face is a mess. Looks like hamburger. The paramedics think that he has a couple of broken ribs and a concussion, too."

Matt looked down at the floor. "Damn it! I shouldn't have talked to him this morning I guess. Maybe Chris had the right idea – not answering the phone when he called. CJ was going to file for a restraining order when we got back."

Hoyt shook his head. "If no one had answered he probably would have shown up anyway. That's what she told me while ago. Apparently this guy can't get it through his thick head that the lady isn't interested in him anymore."

"Do we have an address on him?" Matt looked in toward the inner office where he could still hear Chris crying.

"Yes, and there's already a patrol car on the way there. You stay out of it, PI, you understand?" Hoyt knew that Matt felt responsible for what had happened.

"Look Hoyt, I …" Matt started in.

"NO. Got it? The answer is no. Leave it alone and let the police deal with it. I mean it, Matt." He started toward the elevator.

"We got some more information on the rapist." Matt turned toward him.

"Oh, what's that?"

"We talked to Lisa Spaulding and Angela Gardner: both remembered him smelling like gasoline."

"Well that's something that we didn't have before. I'll add it to the report."

"We were headed to meet Patty Neighbors when Chris called." He looked back inside the office and could tell that CJ had gotten the secretary calmed down a little bit. "I really need CJ with me doing these interviews but I don't want to leave Chris here by herself." He rubbed his temples and sat down on the desk. "She doesn't need to be at home by herself either. He might try to get her there, too." Matt thought for a minute. "Guess I could get Uncle Roy to take her to the ranch."

"Now you're talking. But otherwise, you stay out of it. I know what will happen if you get involved." Hoyt looked at his friend.

Matt's head shot up. "Just what in the hell is that supposed to mean, Hoyt?" He had fire flashing from his eyes.

"Just what I said. We don't need you getting involved in it: you'll get beat up, too – or worse." He pushed the button for the elevator. Matt just sat there and stared at him. "I mean it, PI." Hoyt got on the elevator and left.

Matt picked up the phone on Chris's desk and called Uncle Roy. "Hey, it's me. Look, I know you were going to take the morning off, but I need some help." He explained what had happened. "Could you come get Chris and take her to the ranch, please? I'm working on the rapist case with Hoyt and I need CJ with me to interview these ladies."

"No problem, Matt. I'll be there in half an hour." Roy hung up the phone and headed to his car. He didn't like the way his nephew had sounded so tired. Maybe he should try to talk him out of this deal with the satellite. But since he had already spent $5 million on it, he doubted that would work.

Matt walked into the office and found CJ and Chris sitting on the couch, Chris holding a tumbler of what appeared to be whiskey. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "CJ, have you got all the information you need for a restraining order?"

"Yes, I'll go get started on it right now." She stood up and headed toward her office.

"Chris, Uncle Roy is coming to pick you up and take you to the ranch, okay?" He hugged the girl.

"Houston, I'm so sorry about all of this. I never dreamed he would actually come up here and do something like that." She started to cry again.

Matt patted her back. "It isn't your fault he's an idiot, now is it? Look at me. You don't have anything to be sorry about."

"But what about the phone calls you might get here? I won't be here to answer the phone."

"No, but we can transfer them to the ranch, can't we? You can even kick back in my recliner and answer the phone, how 'bout that?" He smiled at her. She returned it and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, Houston. I don't know what I would do without you guys."

"Well, we don't know what we would do without you either." Matt heard the bell on the elevator and quickly got up off of the couch. Chris sucked in her breath. "It's okay; it's Murray here to check on his lady." Matt smiled at the secretary who ran into Murray's arms.

"Are you okay, pumpkin?" Murray was holding on to her and patting her back. "I just got back from a meeting across town and heard what happened." He looked up at Matt.

"Uncle Roy is going to take her to the ranch for safe keeping. Is that okay with you?" The private investigator walked over to the couple.

"That sounds like a great idea. You'll be safe there." He kissed Chris, a move which somewhat surprised Matt. Murray was a very shy person most of the time. Houston walked on into CJ's office and gave the couple some privacy. He sat down on the love seat that was in the corner of the room and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. CJ looked over at him, but didn't say anything. In a couple of minutes, he was asleep with his head tilted over onto his shoulder. She left him sleeping when Uncle Roy got there.

Meeting Matt's uncle out in the office, CJ asked him to come into her office for just a minute before he took Chris. She closed the door behind them. "Look, I know you two won't tell me what you're working on. BUT…" She pointed to Matt. "He has got to get more rest. Can you please try to help me get that point across to him the next time you two are working on it?"

Roy nodded. "I can try, but I won't make any promises. You know as well as I do how stubborn he can be."

CJ agreed. "Just please try, okay? I'm worried about him, Uncle Roy."

"I know, I am, too." He put an arm around her and they watched Matt for a minute. "Guess I better get going with Chris." He gave her a peck on the cheek and walked out. CJ continued to watch Matt, then decided to order the two of them some lunch and let him sleep until it was delivered. At least that way he would get a nap and something to eat, too.

When their lunch arrived, CJ went to wake Matt up. It took her a couple of minutes to get him awake and then he was looking around a little confused. "Uncle Roy took Chris to the ranch and I ordered us some lunch from Sabrina's. It's on the poker table." Matt stood up and followed her out and the two of them sat down together. He looked around and grinned.

"Sure is quiet with just the two of us here." He reached across the table and took CJ's hand in his and kissed it. "Sorry I've been so much fun here lately, babe."

"You're fine, Matt. I just want you to take better care of yourself. You're not getting enough rest." She knew he was about to make an excuse and stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. "I know you're trying to make things better for everyone. But there won't be any kids for us if you don't take care of yourself. Now, let's eat and then go talk to the other ladies on the list." He just nodded and dug into the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Matt had to admit he felt better after his short nap and a good lunch and was in much better spirits as he and CJ stopped by the courthouse to file the restraining order and then went back to interviewing the victims of the rapist. The next place on their list was Patty Neighbors' house in Hollywood Hills. When they arrived her boyfriend answered the door and led them in to where Patty was sitting in front of her computer working on touching up some photographs. "Patty, these people are private investigators that are consulting with the police on the …guy that jumped you." He obviously didn't want to use the word "rape".

She turned and looked at CJ and Matt. "Private investigators?" Matt explained that he often consulted the department on some of their more difficult cases. CJ took over from that point and began asking the same questions that she had already posed to Angela and Lisa that morning. When she asked about smells, Patty nodded her head. "Gas. He smelled like a gas station. I hadn't thought about that until just now. And he did have tattoos, what do they call that Richie? Where it covers their whole arm?"

Her boyfriend walked over to her. "A sleeve."

"Yeah, part of it was a skull and there was a dragon on there, too. I remember…it was on his right arm, the one that he held me down with." She appeared to get choked up. "And he had a ring on his right hand. It looked like a gargoyle."

Matt and CJ exchanged a glance. Then she spoke: "Miss Neighbors that is the best description that we've had so far. Do you think that you would be able to identify the tattoos and ring if you saw them again?"

Patty nodded. "Oh yeah, I could. Would you like a picture of what I remember?"

"That would be a big help. The police department keeps albums of the tattoos that are on people that they arrest – for that very reason."

The photographer turned around and began hitting keys on her computer. "I was looking on the internet earlier. Now this isn't exactly the same, but it is pretty close." She showed CJ a picture of a dragon and then of a skull, then printed them out for her.

"What about the colors? Were they all one color or multi colored?" CJ was starting to feel a glimmer of hope for the victims.

"The skull was just a black outline like this one, but the dragon had several colors in it." She smiled up at CJ. "I really want to get my hands on this guy."

"I don't blame you. And with the information that you've given us, we may just be able to make that happen." CJ thanked her and she and Matt left to go interview the fourth victim, Laura Giles of Sherman Oaks.

When they got in the truck, Matt called Hoyt to update him. "That's the best news I've heard all day. I just got back from trying to interview Marsha Patterson. She's still at the hospital and is under heavy sedation. He really did a number on her."

"Okay, we'll call you when we get done in Sherman Oaks." Matt was about to hang up when Hoyt surprised him.

"Hey, I just want to apologize to you…I was too rough on you at the office. I'm sorry." Hoyt didn't apologize very often.

"No, you were probably right, Michael. I was plenty upset. Let's just forget it, okay?" Matt knew deep down that Hoyt had been right on the money about what he would have done if given the opportunity.

"Talk to you later." The lieutenant hung up.

A little while later they pulled up to the apartment of Laura Giles. It was in a nice newer complex. As they walked up to the building Matt noticed the security cameras. "Tell you what CJ, why don't you go talk to Miss Giles and I'm going to go check with the manager about the security footage. Hoyt didn't say anything to me about it."

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the truck if I get done before you do." He gave her a peck on the cheek and walked down to the next building where the manager's office was. Knocking on the door, Matt looked around him and was noticing the layout of the security cameras. When the door opened and he turned his head to ask for the manager he was looking down the barrel of a pistol – being held in a very shaky hand. "Hi, uh, my name is Matt Houston and I'm a private investigator consulting with the LAPD on the rape of Laura Giles the night before last. Can I show you my ID?"

The older lady was giving him the evil eye. "Okay, but no sudden moves sonny boy, or I'll put one right between your eyes."

"Yes ma'am." He pulled his wallet out with two fingers and flipped it open to show her his private investigator's license.

"Well, alright then. What can I do for you?" She eased the hammer back down.

"I was wondering if the police department knew about your security cameras. Lt. Hoyt didn't mention them to me this morning at our meeting."

"No they didn't. The cameras aren't working just yet. The man from the security company is supposed to be getting them ready today. Little late, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am, but better late than never I guess." He smiled at her. "Thanks for your help. Have a nice day."

"Sorry to be so tough on you sonny, but you just never know these days. A girl has to take care of herself."

"Yes ma'am, I don't blame you. Thanks again." He walked on back up to the other building where CJ was meeting with Laura Giles. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a woman who turned out to be Laura's sister. She also had a pistol pointed at him.

He heard CJ's voice from inside the apartment. "Mrs. Finnegan? That's my husband that I was telling you about." The hammer was eased back down and the door opened for him.

"Thanks." Matt came inside and stood behind CJ, who was seated on the sofa.

"Matt, this is Laura Giles. She also said that the man smelled like gasoline and she also saw the dragon tattoo." CJ turned to look at him.

"Please have a seat Mr. Houston." Miss Giles was sitting in a chair across from CJ and Matt eased down on the couch.

"I just talked to the manager about the security cameras. They aren't online yet." Matt put his arm around CJ.

"Well other than the gas and the tattoo I don't have anything to add." Laura seemed depressed and Matt really couldn't blame her.

CJ stood up and handed her a business card as did Matt. "Just let us know if you think of anything else. Thank you for your time." She and Matt left the apartment and as he was opening the door of the truck for her he heaved a sigh of relief. CJ looked up at him. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing really…I've just had two pistols pointed at me in the space of five minutes, that's all." He grinned as he walked around and slid in behind the wheel. "You want to call Hoyt and update him again?"

"I can do that." CJ dialed Hoyt's cell and let him know that Laura Giles had confirmed the gasoline smell and the dragon tattoo.

"Well, that's more than we had this morning. Now I just hope he doesn't decide to strike again tonight." The detective flipped through the stack of paperwork on his desk.

"We can hope not. Guess we'll talk to you tomorrow, Michael." She finished the call and looked over at Matt. "So what now?"

"Home." He looked over at her and smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

When Matt and CJ got to the ranch, Roy and Chris were sitting outside by the pool. Chris handed Matt a stack of phone messages that had come in since she and Roy had arrived. None of them were overly important. CJ sat down at the table and told Chris that she had filed for the restraining order against the ex-boyfriend.

"I really appreciate it, CJ. I just can't believe that he's even acting like this. We haven't dated in over a year – why all the sudden interest?" She shook her head. "Greg is going to be okay. Murray went to the hospital to check on him and he's doing fine. They're keeping him overnight for observation."

Matt came back out of the house. "So, does anybody feel like having a steak?"

Roy spoke up. "I won't turn it down, how about you Chris?"

"Sounds good to me." She smiled up at her boss. "Houston, I'm really sorry about all this mess."

"No need to apologize. You're not the one who did anything wrong, now are you?" Matt walked over to the grill and began heating it up for the steaks. CJ walked over and put her arms around his waist and gave him a hug.

"I'll go fix a salad to go with it." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then went into the house to change and fix the salad.

After firing up the grill, Matt sat down and let out a whistle, startling Chris. "Watch this." He smiled as the sound of hoof beats drew closer and closer. In under a minute Cricket, Matt's favorite horse was standing by his side begging for attention. Chris started laughing. "Cricket, go give Chris a hug and kiss, okay?" The horse walked right over to the secretary and did as she was told, sending Chris into another peal of laughter.

"She is so cute!" The secretary continued to pet on the horse.

"Uncle Roy, can I talk to you for a minute?" Matt walked over toward the grill and was followed by his uncle.

"What's up?"

"I promised CJ that I would stay home tonight. I didn't know if you were planning on working." He tested the grill and decided that it was ready for the steaks.

"I believe so - unless you're going to need me here to help with Chris." He was glad that Matt was taking the night off.

"No, I think we'll be fine. I've got a feeling Murray will be showing up before too much longer." He grinned at his uncle.

"Well that's alright, too." He turned to look at Chris. "Do you have any idea why the ex is suddenly interested in her again?"

"No; and she doesn't either. I just hope he doesn't find out about her dating Murray. It could put him in danger as well."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that when we got here this afternoon." Roy knew that although Murray was a great CEO, when it came to fighting, he probably wouldn't win.

"Guess I better get some steaks cooking." Matt heard the sound of a car coming up the drive and looked up just in time to see Murray getting out. "Speak of the devil and there he is. Guess he's worried about his lady." He grinned at Uncle Roy. "Better go thaw out another steak." He waved to Murray as he stepped into the kitchen.

CJ was finishing up the salad and Matt let her know that Murray was there. She smiled. "I had a feeling we would be seeing him here tonight. I called the clerk's office by the way: the hearing for the restraining order will be at 10 am tomorrow."

Matt nodded as he pulled another steak out of the freezer and put it in the microwave to thaw. Then he walked over to CJ and pulled her into a kiss. Neither one of them heard the door when Murray stepped inside to say something to them. The CEO just smiled and stepped back outside.

After dinner on the patio the group sat around talking for a few hours. CJ had told Chris about the time of the hearing and that seemed to cheer her up a good bit. Matt had walked down to the barn to check on the horses and Roy had gone with him. Murray and Chris went for a walk around the property before he left for the night. As he was about to leave, Murray asked Houston for a word in private.

"I need your help." Murray started in, then stalled.

"Okay, with what?" Deep down, Matt had a feeling he knew what his friend wanted.

"Well, you know Chris and I have been dating…" He looked up at Matt who was now smiling. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. But I've got a feeling I know what I'm about to hear."

"I want to ask her…" Murray swallowed hard. "I want to ask her to marry me, but I'm not sure what the best way is to go about it." That was the final straw: Matt started laughing. Murray puffed up like a toad. "I really don't understand why you think it's so funny."

Matt managed to straighten up. "Let me guess…you want my advice on how to ask, right?"

Murray nodded. "Yeah, I'm just not sure…"

Houston lost it again. When he had calmed down enough, he clapped Murray on the back. "Did you ever hear how I proposed to CJ?" The distraught CEO shook his head no. Matt chuckled a little more. "Well, it sure wasn't romantic – I was in the emergency room getting patched up after going a few rounds with

that big wrestler up on the sky ride at the amusement park. The doctor was about to kick her out because she wasn't family. So, me being the romantic guy that I am, I popped the question right then and there. But you know what? It worked." He gave his friend a pat on the back. "What I'm trying to say is this; Chris is in love with you. I seriously doubt that she will care how you ask – just as long as you ask. Get my drift? It's gotta be better than how I did it." He started laughing again.

"I guess you're right. So, a little champagne, some candles, romantic music…I think I can do this." He gave Matt a big smile. "Well, I've also got another question to ask you."

"Alright: shoot."

"IF she says yes…"

"And she will, Murray, trust me." Matt was still smiling.

"Would you be my best man?"

"I'd be proud to, Murray." The two shook hands. "So when are you going to do it?"

"Uhhhh, I don't know." The panic was starting to slip back into Murray's voice.

"Alright, I'll help you out. Tomorrow night. There, now you have a dead line. I know how much you love those." Matt grinned at the deer-in-the-headlights-look on Murray's face.

"Yeah, tomorrow night. Thanks, Houston." He took off to tell Chris good night and Matt walked into the kitchen. CJ was taking dishes out of the dishwasher and putting them in the cabinet. He walked up behind her and took a stack of plates out of her hands and set them on the counter, pulling her close to him.

"I just had an interesting conversation with Murray." He kissed her. "He's ready to pop the question."

"Please tell me he didn't ask you for advice." CJ was smiling back at him.

Matt nodded. "Yep, and I told him how I proposed." He kissed her again. "Then I told him that no matter what he did he was bound to do better than I did."

"And what did he say?"

"He agreed." Matt smiled at his wife and kissed her again.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I guess it was kind of romantic – in a Mattlock Houston round about kind of way." She pulled him even closer and the pair kissed again. "What do you say we…"

The phone rang. Chris answered it and walked into the kitchen. "Houston, it's Michael. The rapist struck again."

Matt closed his eyes and dropped his head, then kissed CJ on the cheek before taking the phone from Chris. "Yeah, Hoyt." He listened. "Okay, I'll be right there. 'Bye." He handed the phone back to Chris. "CJ, turn on the alarm. I'm not sure what time I'll be back. Love you." He headed out the door and got into his truck.

Chris stood there and watched as CJ armed the alarm. "CJ, he gets called away a lot at night, doesn't he?"

"He does." She turned back to the dishes that she was putting in the cabinet.

Chris started helping her. "How do you keep from worrying about him?"

"I don't. But I knew what it was like going into the marriage. It's just part of him." She smiled at the secretary.

Neither woman said anything for a minute. "CJ, I think Murray is about to ask me to marry him."

"Really?" She decided to play dumb. "So…will you say yes?"

"Well of course I will!" She blushed. "He's so sweet, you know? Such a gentle person and he really has a great sense of humor – once he gets past being nervous with someone. And boy can he cook lasagna!"

"I know, he cooked for us one night when he was staying here. It was almost as good as Mama Novelli's."

"Well, if he does ask, would you be my matron of honor?" Chris was holding her breath.

"Of course! You don't really think I'd say no do you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Matt had to park his truck five houses down from the crime scene. As he walked up the street, he saw the ambulance pulling away and the CSI van pulling in taking its place. As he got nearer, he saw Cheryl Crawford emerge from the van and open the doors on the back. He walked up and offered to help her carry her gear up to the house.

As the two made their way up the sidewalk, Cheryl looked over at Matt when the porch light reached his face. "Buddy, you look like you need a vacation."

Matt just smiled. "It's been busy here lately."

"I can relate to that. Thanks for the help." She walked on in and immediately began taking photographs. Matt found Hoyt in the hallway.

"Sorry to bother you tonight, but it looks like the same guy again. Our victim, Diana Poston, just left in the ambulance. He cut her pretty good." He walked toward the kitchen as he talked. "This is where it happened. I've gotta give the lady credit, she damn near got away from him. He grabbed her outside the front door, just like the other victims. When she got the door unlocked and they started in, he threw her against the wall. But instead of falling, she pushed off from it and almost made it to the back door."

Matt nodded and looked around. "Were you able to talk to her any?"

"She confirmed the gasoline smell and the tattoo. Said she didn't notice a ring." Hoyt looked around at the kitchen: there was blood on the floor and even some on the back door.

"This guy must be out cruising around looking for a woman that fits the profile, then follows them home. He could be anywhere at any given time. I don't know how in the hell we're gonna catch him unless we get a fingerprint or DNA." Matt was looking around and just as the words left his mouth he saw it: a fingerprint in the blood on the floor. "Hoyt – look. Do you think it's his?"

"God I hope so. Cheryl!" He yelled for the CSI tech. "Hey, would you scan this fingerprint here and try running it?" She nodded and did as he asked.

"Okay, we've got a hit. It comes back to one Derek Sartain." She looked up at Hoyt.

"Derek Sartain?" Matt couldn't believe his ears.

"Why do I know that name?" Hoyt looked at the private investigator.

"Because that's Chris' ex, the one who beat up Greg this morning. And he's a mechanic." The two men looked at each other for a minute, then Matt pulled out his phone and called CJ. "Look, the rapist that we've been looking for? He's Chris's ex – yeah, I'm serious. We just got his fingerprint at the latest attack. Did you turn on the alarm like I told you?"

"Yes, the minute you walked out the door." CJ had started walking around the house closing the blinds.

"Okay, call Uncle Roy. Tell him what's going on and tell him that I need him there with you two." Matt's heart was pounding. "And CJ – get a gun and keep it handy, will you?"

"I just did." She checked the clip in the Sig Sauer that she had just pulled out of the gun cabinet. It was the one that she had bought for Matt the previous Christmas.

"Alright. Love you. 'Bye." Matt hung up and looked over at Hoyt. "What is this guy's address?"

Hoyt pulled out his notebook and found the information that he had taken down just that morning at Houston's office. "7984 Willow Wood Terrace." The two men literally ran out of the house and headed for their vehicles, Matt following behind Hoyt, who had his lights and siren on. After making what would normally have been a twenty minute drive in less than five minutes, the two men pulled up at the apartment complex where Sartain lived. Two more patrol cars pulled up and the six men headed for apartment 489. Hoyt pounded on the door and identified himself as a police officer. There was no response. After a second knock, he again started to identify himself but Matt took matters into his own hands and kicked in the door. The six men searched through the apartment, but Sartain wasn't there. "I'm going back to the ranch, Hoyt. I don't know if he would figure out that Chris is there or not, but I can't take that chance." He took off for his truck and Hoyt and the other police officers followed him back to the ranch.

When Matt got to the gate at the end of the drive, his heart sank: the gate had been demolished. He flew up the driveway to find the kitchen door standing wide open and the alarm going off. Running into the house, he called out for CJ and got no answer. He and the police officers checked through the house but no one was there. As they started to head back out, Roy came running inside.

"He's got them Uncle Roy. He's got CJ and Chris." Matt went back outside and looked around. He didn't see anything. The phone in the house rang and Matt dove for it, answering before it could ring again. "Houston."

"Well, so it's the big bad boss – the great cowboy that I've heard so much about, huh? Didn't get to meet you this morning, but I sure as hell will tonight. I want you to get that geek that Chris has been dating and I want the two of you to meet me." Sartain started laughing and Matt could hear one of the women screaming in the background.

"I swear if you hurt either one of them I'll kill you." Matt's voice had taken on that quiet tone that he always got when he was angry.e "When and where you son of a bitch?"

"I'll call you in an hour. And don't worry; I've got your cell phone number, thanks to Chris's phone." He hung up. Matt called Murray and told him what had happened and what Sartain wanted.

"Whatever I have to do to get her back, Houston. I'll do anything." Murray Chase was the ultimate CEO: he could handle international corporate mergers and hostile takeover attempts on a corporation. He wasn't, however, a fighter. Matt knew this but he also knew how much Murray loved Chris. "You know he's going to try to kill us, Murray."

"I don't care, he can't hurt her." Murray's voice sounded surprisingly calm. "Where?"

"He's supposed to call me back in an hour. Let's meet at the office and get you ready." Matt hung up and walked back to his bedroom and into the closet. He pulled down the duffle bag that held the tactical gear that he had used a while back when he and Hoyt had worked with the DEA to stop a stolen car and drug smuggling ring. He pulled out a pair of the black BDU's that he had worn that night and started removing his clothing to change.

Hoyt walked in. "You know I can't let you go in there by yourself, Houston." Matt didn't say a word, but continued changing his clothes. "I know you hear me, PI." The police detective walked over and grabbed his arm. Matt pulled away.

"He's got them, Hoyt and it's my fault. I shouldn't have left them here alone tonight. It's my responsibility." He laced up the boots and pulled out one of the black duty belts that was also in the bag. Turning back toward the den, Matt heaved the bag onto his shoulder and went to the gun cabinet and pulled out two Glock G-21 pistols and a box of ammunition. He tossed them into the bag and headed out to his truck, closely followed by Hoyt.

"Look Houston, you've got to let us help you." Hoyt was having trouble keeping up with Matt and was practically running. He grabbed the man by his arm again and Matt spun around. The look in his eyes was enough to make the veteran cop take a step back.

"Hoyt, I sincerely doubt that this guy is going to be inviting you and the boys to the party." He threw the bag into his truck and got behind the wheel, starting the truck and dropping it into gear. "Look, I'll call you when I know something."

"No you won't – because I'm going to the office with you." Hoyt turned and got into his car and followed the private investigator to his office, lights and siren going again trying to keep his friend from getting pulled over. Once there, they rode up in the elevator together and when they got upstairs, there was Murray waiting for them.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"Murray, take this bag and go downstairs. Put on what you find in there and then come back up here, okay?" Matt wasn't sure if Murray even knew how to shoot a gun; he doubted it. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a shot of Jack Daniel's. He pulled out his phone and checked the time: 11:26.

"Houston I want you to put one of the BugBytes bugs in your shoe or something, alright? That way I can keep track of you." Hoyt knew better than to try to stop him again: when it came to someone hurting a person that Houston loved, it was best not to get in the man's way, especially when the person in question was CJ.

"That I can do." He went downstairs and got a couple of the bugs out of the storage closet, turned one on and handed it to Murray who was walking out of the back room dressed in a set of black BDU's, complete with duty belt and a Glock. "Murray, put this in the top of one of your boots." He handed the bug to the CEO and went back upstairs to pull a laptop out of his office.

"Alright Hoyt…" Matt finished activating the bugs and put one in the top of his left boot. "They're on and working." He handed the laptop to the police detective and showed him how to use the tracking program.

Murray was standing nearby watching. Matt turned to him. "Murray, I want to apologize. This is my fault. I never should have left them there alone tonight."

"No it isn't. This guy – Derek – he's the one at fault. You were just trying to do a job." He looked down at the Glock that was strapped to his leg and looked back up at Matt. "Uh, I do need some help though. I've never shot a gun."

Matt walked over, pulled the pistol out of the holster and proceeded to give Murray a crash course on the use of a gun, then he showed him how to load the extra clip. "And when this is all over, you're going to get a concealed carry permit. The way things are these days, you need it." He clapped the man on the shoulder.

Houston's cell phone rang. "It's him." He put it on speaker. "Houston."

"Well, boss man; it's time for us to meet and for you to die. Meet me at the DWP works out on Montlake. I'm sure you know where that is, Mr. Private Eye. Oh, by the way, if I so much as get a whiff of bacon, I'll kill 'em." Sartain hung up.

Hoyt got on the phone and started to call for backup, but Matt snatched the phone out of his hands. "Look, PI! I know you think you can handle all this by yourself, but that guy is going to do his best to kill you and Murray both. You're gonna need some backup."

"You heard what he said Hoyt; if he so much as gets an idea that there are cops anywhere around, he'll kill them." He grabbed Murray by the arm. "C'mon." They got on the elevator followed by Hoyt.

"Alright, let's say I don't call you some back up. I'll just go along with you two. He won't even know I'm there." Hoyt was running out of options.

Matt thought about it. "You better keep yourself hidden, Michael." The two men exchanged a look. "I mean it."

Hoyt nodded. When they got to the parking garage, he got down in the backseat of the truck and stayed there, hidden under a jacket that was lying in the floor board. Matt made the trip to the Hollywood Reservoir in just under ten minutes. As he got there, he told Hoyt, "If something should happen to me, please get CJ and Chris out of there, okay?"

"You know I will. And nothing's going to happen to you, PI." He stayed in the truck and had the computer under the jacket to keep the light from the screen from giving him away.

Matt and Murray climbed out of the truck. "Murray, unlash your pistol and turn off the safety – and don't lash it back down. Be ready to draw if you have to – and don't be afraid to pull the trigger because he won't." Murray nodded and did as he was told. They worked their way down to the walkway leading out to one of the platforms.

"That's far enough, big boss man. We're gonna find out just how good you are." Sartain moved into the light and Matt could see the tattoos on his arms.

"Let the girls go, Derek. You're not after them. It's me that you want." Matt was trying to stay as relaxed as possible so that he could draw his Glock quickly. "Let Murray take them out of here."

"Yeah, right. Not happening. They're gonna get to watch you two die tonight. Then we'll have a little fun before I drown both of 'em." He gave a cold peal of laughter.

"You know, it's not too late for you to change your mind. You could just walk right on out of here, no questions asked." Matt was trying to keep his breathing slow and even. As quietly as possible he told Murray, "Just breathe nice and even, bud. Keep calm."

"Walk on out here, Boss Man. You're about to die."

Matt started out with Murray alongside him. "Remember what I told you."

"That's far enough."

"You know, you haven't told us why you're doing all this Derek." Houston was doing his best to keep the man distracted so that he could try to figure out how to get the girls loose without having to shoot – they would be in the line of fire. And with Murray never having shot a gun before, Matt was plenty worried.

"Well, I guess I could at least tell you that before you die." Derek took a couple of steps closer to Matt and Murray. "See I used to date Chris – she was a real sweet girl and we got along good. But I got real tired of hearing about her great boss – the cowboy private eye. That's most of what she talked about and then I told her I didn't give a damn about you. Told her if she talked about you again I would cut her tongue out. So she quit seeing me." He gave another laugh. "I accused her of sleeping with you. She changed her phone number and she moved to another apartment. And it took me a while to find her. But now that I have, she's gonna see that you're nothing – it's all a big cover up. You sure as hell don't look like a cowboy now."

Matt didn't say a word. He could see CJ and Chris in the semi-darkness struggling with the ropes that bound them.

"So tonight we're gonna have a gunfight, just like in the old West. How about that?" Derek looked down at the gun in his hand. "Except I don't have a holster, but that's okay, I'll take his. From what I've heard, he doesn't know anything about guns anyway." He motioned to Murray. "Take off the gun belt, baldy. Now!" Murray began undoing the clips on the duty belt and took it off. "Now toss it over here. And you better hope it doesn't go in the water or I kill your little girlfriend first." The CEO tossed the belt almost to the man's feet. "Well look at that, he at least knows how to throw it." Derek took a step closer and picked up the belt. He pulled out the Glock and took a look at it. "Sweet! Guess I've got myself a new gun."

"Not yet you don't." Matt's voice was calm and level. "Look Derek, stop and think about it. You can walk out of here right now. We don't have to do this."

"What? Is the big macho cowboy getting scared?" He laughed again; Matt could see a chill shake CJ as she heard him.

"Nope, not scared. I just really don't feel like killing somebody tonight. But if you really want to go out like that…who am I to stop you?" Matt looked around Derek at CJ. "Just hold tight, ladies, this will all be over with soon."

"Alright cowboy." Derek put the gun belt on. "Time to back up that big mouth of yours."

Matt stood ready and waiting. "Murray, move back behind me." As the CEO started to move, Derek yelled out, "NO! You stay right where you're at…don't move a muscle." Murray stopped.

"Okay, Derek are we going to have a gunfight or are you going to talk us to death?" Matt moved his left foot forward a half step and slightly turned his body to the right, a move so subtle that it escaped Derek's notice.

Neither man said another word. No one moved. After a minute of nothing, Matt spoke. "So shoot already Derek. We're all waiting for it. Unless you're too scared."

Suddenly Derek's hand went down for the pistol and Matt's hand raised his and fired. Derek dropped like a sack of bricks. Matt slowly walked forward keeping his pistol trained on the man. Once he reached him, it was obvious he had absolutely nothing else to worry about from him. The shot had gone straight through his heart. Matt kicked the gun to the side anyway and ran over along with Murray to untie the two ladies. Hoyt hit the walkway at a full run and didn't stop until he was next to Derek. The sound of sirens filled the night air as Matt took CJ in his arms and Murray and Chris hugged each other.

Suddenly Murray dropped down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. "Chris, please marry me." Matt and CJ were frozen and Chris appeared speechless for a moment, then she reached down and pulled him to his feet and gave him a kiss.

"I believe that was a yes." Matt looked at his wife and smiled as they watched the couple.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

After giving statements and dealing with the investigation, it was after 3:00 am when Matt and CJ got back to the ranch. Roy was there waiting on the two of them. He had boarded up the splintered door and swept up the glass, and was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when the couple got back.

Roy pulled CJ into a big hug. "I was sure worried about you."

"I'm fine and so is Chris." She sat down at the table with him. Matt was taking off the gun belt and went into the den to put the gun back in the case while CJ told Roy about what had happened. "Well, it sounds like that fella was a few cards shy of a full deck. What did Matt say about it?"

"He hasn't said a whole lot. He tried his best to talk Derek out of it, but he just wouldn't listen." CJ turned and looked back toward the den. "I figured he would be back in here by now." She and Roy got up and started into the den, stopping once they spotted Matt. He was sprawled out on one of the couches asleep.

"Guess the old married man just can't take the late night hours anymore, huh?" Roy grinned over at CJ.

She walked into the den and carefully took off his boots and covered him with an afghan, then leaned over and gently kissed him on the forehead. Walking back over to Roy, she shook her head. "He really was upset about the whole deal, but after what the guy had done to all of those ladies, Matt felt like he probably wanted to die like that. He figured Derek couldn't take the thought of getting sent to prison."

"Well, the taxpayers won't have to pay for a trial, that's for sure."


End file.
